1. Field of the Invention
Disposable roasting pans for use in cooking foods such as hams, roasts, turkeys, and the like have become popular because they are inexpensive to purchase and eliminate the need for roasting pan cleanup. These roasting pans are typically made of a light or thin gauge material, such as aluminum foil, and may be used with a lid or cover made of the same material.
While the pan is typically used for cooking only one time, the cover, since it does not receive the juices or grease from the food item, could be readily reused. With existing disposable pan and cover designs, however, the cover may not be effectively used as a pan. As a result, the cover by itself is not useful, and consumers may be forced to purchase both another cover and pan when only the latter is actually needed. In other words, consumers can end up discarding and thus wasting the covers of existing disposable roasting pan and cover sets.
If the cover could be used as a pan, that is, if the pan and cover of the roasting pan were interchangeable, the consumer would need to only purchase another single pan/cover for future use. Alternatively, the consumer could use the leftover cover by itself as a pan if his or her cooking needs so permitted. Consumers could also purchase two pan/covers and have the option of using them together in a pan and cover configuration or as two pan applications (where covers are not required). A disposable roasting pan with an interchangeable cover would thus be advantageous in terms of expense and flexibility.
2. Description of Related Art
A roasting pan featuring an interchangeable cover is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,875 to Wener. The roasting pan of Wener has two identical pan halves. Each pan half features a rim with staggered protrusions and recesses. When two halves are joined in a pan and cover configuration, the protrusions and recesses of the two halves fit together so that the halves do not shift relative to each other. In addition, a pair of extending and rigid handles are rim-mounted at opposing ends of each pan half. While the roasting pan of Wener offers the advantages of an interchangeable pan and cover, it also suffers from a number of disadvantages, especially when utilized in a disposable roasting pan application.
As a food product such as turkey, ham, or beef is roasted, juices and grease will collect in the bottom of the roasting pan. It is therefore desirable to elevate the food product above the bottom of the roasting pan so that these juices and grease will not be absorbed in the cooking item and disrupt an even cooking process. In addition, elevation allows for drainage and thus for the food product to be more uniformly cooked and browned. The roasting pan of Wener does not provide a platform for elevating a food product above its bottom. Its interior bottom surface is flat. While a wire rack could be placed within the roasting pan, and the food product placed upon the rack, this would involve additional expense and cleanup for the user.
The thin gauge metals used by disposable roasting pans suffer from diminished structural strength. As a result, disposable roasting pans customarily feature ribs of varying sizes and designs in the bottom of the pan to add structural strength without increasing the metal gauge or thickness. The roasting pan of Wener does not provide for such ribs or the like. It follows that if the roasting pan of Wener were made of a disposable-grade material, it would have a very flimsy and weak bottom surface. This would severely limit the size of the food product that could be accommodated by the roasting pan.
The extending and rigid handle design of the roasting pan of Wener suffers from a number of disadvantages. Even though the handles may be incorporated into the one-piece construction of the pan halves, they clearly involve additional manufacturing operations such as cutting and smoothing (of their edges). These manufacturing operations add cost to the product.